The painstaking beauty of Scotland's Harris Tweed
You'll be looking at that blanket in a whole new light

As Scotland inches closer to a referendum which will determine whether it strikes out as an independent country, one cottage industry remains as classic to the region as ever.
Those who journey to the Outer Hebrides will find Harris Tweed, a fabric woven into the culture and very geography of the Isle of Lewis. Required by an Act of Parliament to weave the iconic tweed sans automated machinery, only Outer Hebrides islanders are allowed to create the cloth — and they must do the actual weaving in their homes. A cottage industry, indeed.
Below, the tweed's journey — from its first wild moments on the highlands to landing on department shelves — in photos.
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Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.
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